Today’s Oprah Show All About Motherhood!
October 23rd, 2006
Oprah looks really interesting today! It is all about motherhood! I don’t know if this will happen or not, but Madonna is reportedly going to be on Oprah this week to discuss her incredibly controversial, and increasingly troubled adoption. Seems that this would fit in nicely with today’s show topic.
From South Africa to north Alaska, moms you have to meet. Plus, what country was named one the best places in the world to raise a family?
According to the Seventh Annual Mother’s Index, Norway is one of the top spots for moms!
With free healthcare for children seven and under – and paid maternity leave that lasts a year – this Scandanavian paradise makes sure family comes first.
“It’s a very family oriented society and the family is very important to the government,” says Trine Grung, a mother of two, who calls Oslo, Norway, home.
Along with extended maternity leave – which can be divided between a husband and wife – moms and dads each get 10 days off with pay to take care of their kids if they get sick! Plus, during the first few years, families can get about $100 a month from the government to help pay nanny costs.
If your day care provider falls through? No problem! Trine says it’s okay to take the kids to work for a day or two.
Norway also encourages moms to breast-feed, and there are even cafés designed for nursing moms. “We don’t flash the boob out in the cafe, but you can be discreet. Everybody does it,” she says. And Trine means everybody – 99 percent of Norwegian moms breast-feed!
Wow! I think that info about Norway is very interesting! Too bad America can’t follow suit more.
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1. Suze | October 23rd, 2006 at 10:21 am
I’m Canadian, and we have very similar benefits here…our healthcare is free for everyone (not just children!), we get 1 year paid maternity leave (can be split with your partner), and we now receive about $100 per child 6 and under per month from the government to assist with registration fees for music, sports, and other activites.
Go Canada Go!!!!!
2. babyhates | October 23rd, 2006 at 10:35 am
Am moving !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t get anything when I was pregnant ! I was in the Navy and it sucked !!!!!
3. Essie | October 23rd, 2006 at 11:06 am
Well, that all sounds very nice but have you looked at the taxes people in Norway (and Sweden and Denmark) have to pay?? And, what do people who choose not to have children get? I call all these “wonderful” services for families WELFARE!!! If you can’t afford to care for your child, DON’T HAVE ANY!!!
Sorry to sound so hysterical but, really, I don’t want to have to pay for other people to raise their children.
4. Linda | October 23rd, 2006 at 11:09 am
If all is swell in Norway, why aren’t they having enough children to replace their society? Check it out!!!
5. 2kids2many | October 23rd, 2006 at 11:42 am
I would love to beable to watch Oprah, but Blue’s Clues is on at that time.
(IMO) America might be one of the most powerful countries in the world, but we are far behind when it comes to social issues such as health care, child care and support for the elderly.
6. Christine | October 23rd, 2006 at 11:48 am
Hi Essie, I’m danish and yes we do have to pay a lot of taxes. I currently pay about half my income to taxes. I think that our system is very good however, since a lot of health services are pair for us from the state (except for medicine), children and students get free education, and you get welfare from the state if you are below a certain minimum. Our transport system is also very good. I really do not object to pay more taxes if that means that all people in our society get taken care of, and that I do not have to worry when i lose my job by accident. Not many people are below the poverty line here. It is a system that I prefer myself, but everybody is entitled to their own oppinion
7. Julie | October 23rd, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Norway has it right. As a society, we all benefit from protecting family life; even those without children.
8. Danielle | October 23rd, 2006 at 12:37 pm
I agree with #1 Suze, I’m a fellow Canadian and we have it made here when it comes to many regards!!!!
I’ll stick to my little 6% tax instead of paying what they pay over seas……
9. Essie | October 23rd, 2006 at 12:56 pm
Christine, if you love the system (and paying half your income in taxes) then good for you. But I just don’t see the point of a welfare state. Where is the incentive to work hard if you don’t have to worry about losing a job?
Whatever. To each his/her own.
10. Anna | October 23rd, 2006 at 1:13 pm
My husband and I moved to Canada 8 years ago for many of the reasons described above in relation to Norway. We are both professionals and we have 3 young children. Our lives here are made possible — and all the more productive — by the fact that we have parental leave, health coverage, good public schools and transport. My husand has now taken 18 months paid parental leave (6 months with each child) and has a relationship with our children that would have been impossible in the US. Our oldest child now goes to an excellent public school, and our four-year old to an excellent state kindergarten. To suggest that having a welfare system makes people work less is to miss the point entriely — my husband and I have both had the chance to work HARD (as we all know) looking after our kids, rather than paying an illegally empolyed and underpaid nanny to do this work for us.
11. babyhates | October 23rd, 2006 at 1:13 pm
No offense but I was in the Navy when I had my baby and it was rough because I didn’t get more then 30 days to be with him, my job in the US MILITARY was put on the line because of my child…. I had to pick and I choose my baby. So work hard or have a baby I made my choice. Everyone talks about WELFARE but it’s not that many american’s that can actually get it, and I wasn’t earning a lot maybe 16K a year ! I could not afford anything…….. I wish i had some kind of medical and school help !
12. mage | October 23rd, 2006 at 1:27 pm
i would love to live in a family friendly place. i want to make my place like that, not have to move.
no one should have to chose children or job.
13. thegrinchiscoming | October 23rd, 2006 at 2:34 pm
2kids2many I agree a 100% with your post.
14. thegrinchiscoming | October 23rd, 2006 at 2:36 pm
quote :”my husband and I have both had the chance to work HARD (as we all know) looking after our kids, rather than paying an illegally empolyed and underpaid nanny to do this work for us.”
OMG this is soooo true!
15. kelley | October 23rd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Do any of you really know how much Americans actually pay in taxes? We pay 15-45 percent of our income to taxes in most states then there is about 22 cents on the dollar of imbedded tax in everything we buy then there are sales taxes on top of that. Norway may have lots of taxes, but like she said…..not many people are living at poverty level there. Unlike here where 33 percent of our country is.
I wish companies in America were more friendly to mothers. Pumping around where I work would have to take place in a bathroom. You only get weeks of maternity leave and it is usually not paid, and if you work for an ass like me “just because your kids sick doesnt mean you should stay home with him. Get someone else to do it”. Right about now I would take Canada or Norway any day.
Sorry, I just had to leave my sick baby with my mother in law since I have used up my 3 personal days and I am not allowed to use vacation days for sick babies. So needless to say im a little sensetive.
16. Elaine | October 23rd, 2006 at 3:14 pm
I think that the countries that are providing excellent benefits for people who have children are probably also providing excellent benefits for other groups such as the elderly and the sick who cannot work. It is in the interest of everyone in that country to support people who have children because those children are the tax payers and the doctors, nurses, teachers etc of the future, who will then be supporting the welfare state.
17. babyhates | October 23rd, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Right about now I would take Canada or Norway any day.
ME TOO !!!!! Some one get me info on moving !
18. kk_619 | October 23rd, 2006 at 7:48 pm
I am a Canadian and I must say that I would never live anywhere else!! I absolutely love everything about Canada. We are taken care of so well here. Like some of the other posts said, we get 1 year paid maternity leave, medical, dental, sick days/vacation days (for ourselves and for our children).
Elaine, Canada does provide excellent benefits if you get hurt and cannot work (whether it be for 2 months or for 2 years) you will never have to worry about not being taken care of in Canada!! Its such a great place to live, I am a very proud Canadian!!!
19. Robin | October 24th, 2006 at 4:10 am
I wonder if Hilary became President if things would change for women in the U.S.?
20. kelley | October 24th, 2006 at 8:29 am
Most likely not Robin. Most people buy in to the president being all powerful but he isnt. Or she. Their power is only so far reaching.
21. jill | October 24th, 2006 at 8:32 am
“If all is swell in Norway, why aren?t they having enough children to replace their society?”
what a ridiculous comment?!what does that have to do with the wonderful services being provided?
and im sure not “all”is swell there…
22. jill | October 24th, 2006 at 8:35 am
essie- im pretty sure that having a baby friendly environment and the added money for nanny costs is not welfare…..
23. Marianne | October 24th, 2006 at 11:58 am
I’m Norwegian and I love our system, honestly. Ok, so we pay a lot of taxes, but who cares when we pay almost nothing for education, little on health services, are supported when we get too old or sick to work and in addition can take a year off when a baby is born.
It’s true we don’t get many children here, but we’re getting better! ;)
24. Nikki | October 25th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Im Canadian and truley i would Never
live anywere els!
(no affence)
25. Aysha | October 26th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
I am Canadian also. And I have to say that I love it here. We get a years paid maternity leave, and the government has also started to pay $100 a month for each child you have under 6. You can use it for daycare or to stay at home. That comes over and above the child tax credit we already recieve. The family is the most important unit and should be encouraged.
26. Donna | November 13th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
I love the USA, but we have many issues that need addressed. I think Norway & Canada have the right idea. My poor husband has been trying to finish medical school forever & due to how expensive it is he cannot. We struggle & want to have kids, but it is hard right now. We pay for illegal immigrants to come to our country & use our tax dollars while citizens suffer. It is a shame. I am upset over the state of affairs that our country is in. After Clinton left so did many of his education breaks for students. When I lost my job that I worked at for 11 years I had to live off of my savings which is now gone because I had a difficult time finding another job. I was fired 3 days before my wedding & got back from my honeymoon in which my husband had a $10k back surgery operation that insurance had covered most, but we still had to pay for some of it & prescriptions. My gosh our Country is screwed up. Don’t get me started on the poor Hurricane Katrina victims & our troops that are away from their families fighting for our freedom while their families struggle.
I know life is not always fair, but for goodness sakes, nothing is done for the lower middle class citizen these days!!
Sorry folks just a little frustrated about the whole system. By the way if I get pregnant where I work now I get a 1 month maternity leave with no pay.
27. myra isakse | January 29th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Let us just put it this way.. I am a mom in Norway, I don’t mind paying high tax if it means that it will contribute to a better quality life.. I have relatives in the US and I am shocked that they need to work like slaves of money and for what? kids are being left in daycare the whole day for 5 days?!!! that is ridiculouos! family is so important to us norwegians, we may not be a religous country but we know what is important to us. O
here in Norway you will seldom see people work overtime. We work within the hours that we have to, and after that its straight home. I don’t have to think of child kidnapping or things like that which infest a society wherfe the government lacks the resources to protect their people….
28. Another Norwegian | January 31st, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Myra, Im sure you’ll find that it depends quite a bit on where you live in Norway. And that, naturally, some people in this country are more family oriented than others. I for my part know a lot of people who work overtime, and living in Oslo I’m well aware that crime is out there. Norway is a diverse country, as every other country is.
And even tho our government is family oriented, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that people in Norway are more family oriented than people in other countries.